Marimuthu Yoganathan: The Tree Man of Coimbatore

There has never been a day in his life that Yoganathan had not been encouraging the youth to plant trees. Inspired by the late environmentalist S Jayachandran of the Tamil Nadu Green Movement, Yoganathan stands for the significance of imbibing sustainable habits. Rashtrapati Bhavan invited him to be the President's Guest on Independence Day last week for his inspiring work.

Confronted the Wood Mafia at the Age of 12

Yoganathan was raised in poverty and experienced hardship at a young age, losing his father when he was just one and a half years old.  He developed a lifelong relationship with nature after his mother relocated to the Nilgiris district to work in the tea estates. When Yoganathan faced the wood mafia in Tamil Nadu's tranquil Nilgiris, he was just 12 years old.  Growing up next to a tea estate tucked away in these hills, Yoganathan was horrified by the destruction of the trees and motivated many locals to fight against their unlawful removal.  However, since he was raised to be a good citizen by his mother, he saw that confronting those who were cutting down trees would not make the situation better. Yoganathan decided to urge people to plant trees to make the Nilgiris greener.  

Yoganathan was beaten by the thugs at one protest, but it didn't stop him.  He began an awareness campaign, putting his handmade posters on public walls and writing sincere emails to the collector.  They made an impression and were noticed.

Met the Individual Who Inspired Him

He became more involved in environmental initiatives after meeting Jayachandran, a well-known member of the Tamil Nadu Green Movement.  This connection strengthened Yoganathan's dedication to protecting the environment.

Continues to Purchase and Plant Saplings

Over the past forty years, Yoganathan has earned the title "Tree Man of Coimbatore" while working as a bus conductor for the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation in Coimbatore.

He purchases saplings and educates children with 40 percent of his monthly pay.

 

He has so far planted more than 400,000 seedlings around the state of Tamil Nadu, according to some estimates.

Offers Saplings to Bus Passengers and Teaches Youth About Nature Conservation

Having given away free saplings to his bus passengers for the past forty years, his commitment has stood the test of time.  Since 1987, more than four lakh saplings have taken root throughout Tamil Nadu, demonstrating the incredible results of his labor. In addition to planting and distributing trees, Yoganathan spends his free time teaching young people in schools and universities.

On Mondays, which are his weekly day off, Yoganathan frequently devotes his attention to tree-planting projects in different Tamil Nadu schools. To keep his speeches on environmental awareness interesting, he really brings along an LCD projector.  His primary goal is to teach young brains amazing facts about the natural world.

His Next Mission: Creating a Bird Sanctuary in Coimbatore

Currently, Yoganathan is creating a Kuyil Thoppu, a bird sanctuary at Bharathiar University, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his life.  This sanctuary, which is sprouting in Coimbatore, will raise 2,000 saplings that will eventually produce rare, fruit-bearing trees.  However, his goals go well beyond this endeavor.  The ultimate goal of Yoganathan is to see the seeds of five trees—mango, chiku (sapota), coconut, guava, and jackfruit—planted in every Indian hamlet.